Almost Mugged!

Three weeks back, an incident happened that sort of changed the very perspective of being at onsite.

Saju and I were returning home after having watched a movie. From the other end, two teens were coming. Suddenly, they spread out and each one blocked one of us. Saju being the smaller guy, went to the other side. The smaller of the two went after him. The taller and bigger one of them blocked me and started saying, “Where are you from?”

We’d faced such behaviour before and so, I tried to just walk past him. I should have simply ran. Instead, I just tried to walk past him. This guy kept walking beside me and kept asking the same question again and again. Suddenly he said, “I’ll stab you!” I got really scared. Stabbing is a big teen problem in UK, along with drinking related crime. I was half expecting him to remove a knife so that I could bolt from him. Instead, he just made some disgusting sounds and suddenly, punched me on the lips. The other guy in the meantime hit Saju on his chest.

The moment I got hit on the lips, it bruised badly and started to bleed. My specs flew off and fell about 5 feet away. Saju immediately went and picked it up. For a moment, I was knocked out of sense. I did not faint or anything, but, for an instant, I felt I’d lost contact with reality. After all, such things did not happen in Feltham – or did it?

The moment, my senses returned, I felt a burning sensation in mouth. It was only then I realized that blood was dripping from my mouth. Unfortunately, I was wearing a white T-Shirt and I realized it was beyond use and there was a big blood stain on it. I tried to cover the mouth with my hanky and it immediately turned crimson red.

The walk from the accident spot to home was barely a 2 minute walk – but I shall never forget the shock of it! I’d been attacked, humiliated and hit – all for what? For not being a white? For not being a British citizen? I don’t know. To top it all, we’d been attacked barely 10 feet from a main road. When I came walked on to the road, lots of people saw that blood dripping out. But, not a single person came to help. There was a bar on the corner of the road where people were hanging out. Not a single soul came to ask what had happened.

Deep in shock, with knees shivering like some rubbery stem, I walked back home with Saju. The bleeding went on and on – and stopped only at around 12 pm in the night. The medical system was so pathetic that when I called to ask for an appointment, I did not get one. For a wound that I received on Saturday evening, the NHS was ready to give me an appointment on Wednesday at 5 pm. I simply did not bother to book it. When I was having trouble to even swallow water, the medical centre was telling me that they simply could not help.

Somehow it was a moment when I realized how useless a life I was leading here. Sure I was earning in pounds. Of what use is it for me if it can’t buy me a medical care when I need? Of what use it when it cannot guarantee that the next time I went out of house, I would surely return back home? I just felt like I was literally leading the life of a slave – a person who is getting paid, but who is simply not supposed to have any sort of self respect or any sort of dignity. For three days, my lips were swollen, speaking was painful. Everybody in the office said, “Oh so sad! Does it hurt?” But, not a single person had the humanity to say, “Take a day off. Go home and get some treatment”. It was horrible. The whole point of existence here seemed such a waste!

Luckily, I may be soon returning back to India – and that’ll be the best day of life. I am tired of this onsite. I am tired of this routine of work. Tired of this constant fear of being harassed for being an Asian and tired of the apathetic behaviour of the people. The noise, pollution and the congested roads of India are a lot more safe anytime and I’d rather be safe than earn in pounds and cower in my house fearing some attacks.